LAGAWE, Ifugao- – Banaue Mayor Jerry Dalipog has asked the Sangguniang Bayan of this scenic mountain vacation town to immediately establish a General Services Office (GSO), saying it would be most helpful to its people.
Mayor Dalipog spoke before its members recently at the session hall of the Sangguniang Bayan. Its main objective is to improve the delivery of services focused on the overall development goals of the municipal government.
Citing difficulty of handling vital maintenance work at the municipal hall and other facilities, Mayor Dalipog said the GSO would aid in responding to critical concerns of the Banaue government on a day-to-day basis.
At this early, its approval by the nine-member municipal council is likely to occur with the support of Vice Mayor Joel Bungallon and most of the councilors as a positive development expected by many to follow suit. Thus far, no one has shot down Mayor Dalipog’s plan.
Councilor Chester Bahatan, chair of the environment, agriculture, natural resources and agrarian reform committee and an ally of Mayor Dalipog, said that since the town’s chief executive is merely eyeing the creation of the GSO and a general services officer as its head with a lean but mean personnel, the proponent has “nothing to worry about” its approval by the legislators.
In an exclusive interview with the ZigZag Weekly, Mayor Dalipog pointed out that the GSO offers “good and exciting prospects” as a key office of the municipal government in pursuing its noteworthy projects and programs.
“In principle, we are in favor of putting up the General Services Office,” Bahatan said.
Bahatan explained that its creation would ultimately ensure greater efficiency in the operations of the municipal government.
“I believe there’s a big opportunity to get things done better and quicker in Banaue where there’s an assigned entity as the General Services Office,” another Councilor quipped.
Banaue residents are optimistic of having the GSO this year, with expectations of service-oriented, result-oriented employees manning the said office.
The municipal government is largely induced to have a GSO since its non-existence is straining the manpower and logistics at the municipal hall for quite some time.
If enacted through a general ordinance, the creation of the GSO shall be seen as another major accomplishment of the Dalipog administration. Nonetheless, its operation should be very carefully supervised and monitored by appropriate parties.
The recent dialogue between the key pillars of the executive and legislative branches of the government in Banaue is crucial as it allowed them to craft plans and initiatives that will mitigate the problem brought about by the long standing lack of a GSO in a fast-bustling town like this one. **Anthony A. Araos
